Madrid in 3 Half Days!

We just got back from a trip to Spain, I will now document so I don't forget it. If you enjoy pictures of pretty things and cool places, then this is the post for you! If not, just scoot along by. I don't need that kind of negativity in my life.
The trip was proceeded by an extremely eventful packing process that included emergency passport replacement. I think I aged 10 years in one day, I imagine my hair is all grey under the dye. The trip began with an uneventful couple of flights (I admit to taking ambien before the 2nd flight so I remember NONE of it but the last hour.) And now the good stuff starts...
The three of us arrived in Madrid on a rainy afternoon, took a taxi to the city center and stowed our bags before beginning our self-guided walking tour starting in the famous Puerta del Sol:

The "Puerta" is actually long gone and the "Sol" was nowhere to be found, but the square remains named after a gate that is no more. We did enjoy the architecture, the busy vibe, and the pastry shop on the corner...
It continued wet and chilly as we continued on towards Plaza Mayor. We saw vendors setting up the Christmas market, and a few other tourists braving the wet, but everyone else was fleeing the rain.

Since we were getting quite wet, and hungry, it seemed time to follow suite. We ducked into the covered Mercado San Miguel. Definitely not a place locals buy their groceries anymore, but it seems a lot of people break there for lunch or a drink.

The tiny super vinegar-y fish taste better than they look.

Once we had our sampling of foods and the rain had let up a bit, we fought through the jet lag and carried on. Our next stop: Catedral Almudena. We stepped inside.

This cathedral is a lot newer than you might expect, the interior is neo-gothic, the painted ceilings and stained glass windows are very modern.
Something you are going to learn about me from these posts is that I like ceilings. These ones were spectacular.

Right across the way is Palacio Real. This palace is, I believe, the largest in Europe. A testament to the wealth Spain gathered in it's imperial phase and conquest in the new world. We were a little too tired for touring the whole Palace. We were content with gawking from outside the gates like the peasants we are.

Let's see how many times I can trick my mother into posing for a picture!

We were by this point quite tired, our feet were wet, and it was time to dry off. The best place for that was Chocolateria San Gines: the go-to spot for chocolata con churros in the Spanish capital.

We drowsily, kind of grumpily, navigated retrieving our bags, getting to the train station, and heading to Toledo to stay for two nights. More on that later...

--2 Days Later--

We returned to Madrid by train and got slightly lost finding our hotel, despite stellar directions, accurate maps and a really basic location.

After we get settled into our room we make for the Reina Sofia museum. It's Sunday evening, and that means free admission. Reina Sofia is home to modern art starring the likes of Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, and Joan Miro. 

The most famous piece in the museum is Picasso's Guernica. No photos are allowed in this museum apparently, though we took this one before we got the memo: 

What does it mean? What does any of this art mean??

So we have to satisfy ourselves with the exterior shots.

After a good sleep, we made our way to the Prado museum by way of Retiro Park. We again got lost, despite having a city map, a GPS, and having passed the Museum on the way to our hotel. I blame this on the GPS being confused about where we were, and my being tired, and the maps being inadequate. 

Once again, the Prado allows no photos. This museum houses classical and early Spanish art, including huge amounts of art by El Greco, Titian, Velasquez, and Goya.

The lovely, and enormous, Parque El Retiro.

Welcome to the Prado! No photos allowed. Boo.

I like art as well as the next person, better than many, but two hours in a museum is about my limit. After that my eyes glaze over and I'm not really seeing anything anymore.

So we said good-bye to the Prado...and headed to another art museum! A helpful member of the hotel staff tipped us off that it was free admission at the nearby Thyssen-Bornemisza. This museum was a rich family's private art collection, now it is a lovely walk through the history of Western art. AND you can take photos inside! I found some great pieces by artists I didn't know and a couple from the super famous artist we all know, like Monet and Van Gogh.

I might be wrong, but I'm pretty sure this is a Renoir landscape.

A lovely Monet I'd never seen before.

An El Greco. We saw lots of his art on this trip, and I think he is a new favorite of mine.

One of the cherished jewels of the Renaissance collection.

After our intensive art marathon of 3 huge museums in under 24 hours, we headed to the train station. Did I mention that Atocha station has a jungle inside?

Next stop: Barcelona!